Constitutional Justices: How to Talk About Supreme Court Nominations

Messaging Priorities

The Will of the People - Frame nominations in terms of the democratic process. Republicans waited on Garland so the people could speak through the election. Now they have spoken through the election of President Trump, based partly on the list of nominees he released. President Trump and the Senate have a responsibility to see that the people’s will is accurately reflected in the selection and approval of this justice.

Constitutionalist – Americans believe that Scotus nominees should follow the Constitution. The best way to talk about a justice who follows the letter of the law is as a “Constitutionalist”.

Unbiased, Unpoliticized – Americans believe judges should be unbiased, and should not be treated as political pawns to be captured by one party or another.

Overcoming the Filibuster: Public Perceptions of the Nuclear Option and Two Speech Rule

Source: Recommendations based off an online survey using a national representative sample of 1,031 U.S. voters conducted January 6-17, 2017 with a margin of error of ±3.1%.